B.C. government to introduce legislative amendments related to drone operations near wildfires

The government of British Columbia announced on Friday that it will introduce legislative amendments in the spring of 2016 to strengthen and clarify provisions of the provincial Wildfire Act – and that may apply to the operation of drones.

The federal government, through Transport Canada, regulates the use of all aircraft – including drones – and is proposing changes to the existing Canadian Aviation Regulations related to drones. Current federal regulations explicitly prohibit the use of drones of any size near a wildfire, the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations said in a press release. The current maximum fine for an infraction is $25,000 and violators could spend up to 18 months in jail.

Todd Stone, B.C. Transportation and Infrastructure Minister, said in the release that the ministry had sent a submission to the federal government asking for a “tougher regulatory regime, with appropriate penalties.” The submission advocates for stronger federal regulations and addresses a number of key themes, including the safe operation of drones, personal privacy, registration of drones, certification of all drone operators and public awareness.

Mike Morris, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, outlined the plan at a news conference in Prince George on Friday.

“Our message is simple. If your drone is in the sky above an active wildfire, you are grounding firefighting aircraft, putting lives at risk and may cause the fire to spread,” said Morris. “This is completely unacceptable behaviour and there will be legal consequences for anyone who gets caught.”

Related: “Keep the drones at home,” B.C. government urges as wildfires continue to burn

Morris’ announcement was triggered by two incidents in August in which firefighting aircraft were forced to immediately halt all operations on wildfires because someone was flying a drone (also known as an unmanned aerial vehicle) in the area, the press release said. Most notably, on Aug. 16, eight helicopters and five fixed-wing aircraft that were supporting firefighting crews on the Testalinden Creek fire were grounded for over four hours while the fire continued to spread.

“Drone operators need to understand that drone use near a wildfire is extremely hazardous and drones operators must be aware of the rules and the penalties for not following them,” added Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, in the release.

The BC government will also direct a public awareness campaign at stores where drones are sold to ensure owners are aware of their responsibilities before they make the decision to one.